Professional Communication and Computer Ethics

Professionalism

Exhibiting a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the workplace. Characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession.

Characteristics that are considered Professional

1. Reliability

2. Honesty and Integrity

3. Competency

4. Behavior and Respect

Reliability

being someone people can depend on, which is important in a business world built on exchanging promises.

Honesty and integrity

Being honest and acting with integrity allows your leaders, colleagues and clients to understand what your intentions are.

Competency

Clients hire professionals expecting that they can perform their job accordingly and with a level of precision.

Behavior and Respect

Your professional reputation isn’t just about how well you do your job — it’s about how you treat people while doing it.

Professionalism changing over the years

Workplace cultures have evolved over the years. Changing attitudes of society and the fight for equality evolves our understanding of what is professional behavior.

Example:

• Relaxed dress code

• Flexible working arrangements

Three foundations of professionalism

• Behavior

• Skills

• Knowledge

What is insubordination in the workplace

1. the employer gives an order

2. the employee acknowledges the order

3. the employee refuses to carry out the order

unwarranted behaviors

• employee misconduct

• harassment

• discrimination

• absenteeism

• poor work performance

• workplace bullying

• tardiness

Communication

Communication is simply the act of transferring information from one place, person or group to another. Every communication involves (at least) one sender, a message, and a recipient.

Categories of Communication

1. Spoken or Verbal Communication - spoken words

2. Non-Verbal Communication - body language, gestures, facial expressions

3. Written Communication - emails, memos, reports

4. Visualizations - charts, infographics, presentations

Steps to avoid miscommunication

1. Stop assuming

2. Be courteous

3. Know the limitations of text and emails

4. Be a good listener

5. Be aware of the communication style

Professional Communication

The term professional communication refers to the various forms of speaking, listening, writing, and responding carried out both in and beyond the workplace, whether in person or electronically.

Best Impression

Meeting and presentations to memos and emails to marketing materials and annual reports, in business communication, it’s essential to take a professional, formal, civil tone to make the best impression on your audience whether its colleagues, supervisors, or customers.

Emails

Even if you’re comfortable with your coworkers, you should still take extra time to make your emails among them professional, correct and clear. Being too lazy or informal in them (with grammar, punctuation, and spelling, for example) can reflect poorly on you if a message would happen to be forwarded to higher levels of the company or to human resources. Always keep them cordial and reread for potential misunderstandings before you hit “send”

Intercultural Communication

Adapting communication styles across cultures (e.g., strong handshakes vs bows).

Intercultural communication refers to the effective communication between people/coworkers/clients of different cultural background. This includes messaging through patterns and non verbal communication.

Social Media Reflects on Your Brand

Social media is an avenue that represents your public face (and your company’s). It is critical that the communication presented also represents you. Employees have autonomy of their private lives and social media account. However, actions do reflect the business.

Computer Ethics

• Examines moral issues related to computing and IT

• Questions whether ICT has brought unique moral issues

• Highlights the importance of ethical decision-making in computing professions

Morality

• Is a code of conduct created by conscience, society, or religion

• Two perspectives

  • Traditional View: Morality is universal and applies to everyone

  • Contextual View: Morality depends on social and situational factors

• Human reason plays a key role in determining right and wrong.

Ethics

• Is the study of morality in philosophy

• It focuses on moral rules, their justification, and real-life applications

• Explores the concept of a “good-life” and the pursuit of happiness

Branches of Computer Ethics

• Information Ethics - addresses data privacy / security

• Internet Ethics - online behavior and data usage

• Cyberethics - broader digital ethical concerns beyond individual computers

• Technoethics - emerging technological implications

Descriptive Statements

• Factual claims that describe “what is the case”

• it is objectively verifiable

Normative Statements

• Evaluative claims about “what ought to be the case”.

• Prescriptive, justifying moral behavior

Dialectic Method

• Rational method for resolving contradictions and seeking truth through structured augmentation

• Not about winning debates, but about reaching the best conclusion

• Used in Western, Indian, and Buddhist philosophy

Steps to Dialectic method

1. Identify issues for analysis

2. Apply relevant laws and ethical principles

3. Present alternative options

4. Eliminate options and choose the best ethical solution

Ethical Theories

• Consequentialist Framework

  • Utilitarianism

  • Ethical Egoism

  • Altruism

• Duty-Based Ethics

• Rights-Based Ethics

• Character-Based Ethics

Utilitarianism

Maximizes overall happiness (e.g., company automates service using AI chatbots, for efficiency but reducing manual jobs)

An ethical theory that suggests an action is morally right if it produces the greatest good for the greatest number of people. An action is morally right if it maximizes overall happiness and minimize harm for the greatest number of people.

Jeremy Bentham

The founder of modern utilitarianism who introduced the “principle of utility”, emphasizing the greatest happiness for the greatest number

Ethical Egoism

Self-interest-driven actions (e.g., engineer taking big projects, not necessarily to help the team, but for future promotions or job offers)

An ethical theory according to which moral decision-making should be guided entirely by self-interest.

Altruism

Sacrificing self-interest for others (e.g., tech company developing a new assistive technology to help individuals with physical disabilities)

• Coined by French philosopher Auguste Comte

• A decision results in benefit for others, even at a cost to some

  • An action is ethically right if it brings good consequences to others

Duty Based Ethics

Follow universal rules (e.g., honesty in software development)

• Focuses on the rightness and wrongness of actions rather than consequences

• Immanuel Kant proposed the categorical imperative, universal laws that everyone is obligated to follow in any situation

• How it applies to computer ethics

  • Obligation to honesty in software development

  • Duty to privacy of users

  • Duty to ensure accessibility for all

  • Duty to protect against cyber threats

Rights Based Ethics

Protect rights (e.g., privacy, digital property)

• Core Democratic Values

  • Human Dignity

  • Human Equality

  • Freedom

• Rights

  • The right to know

  • The right to privacy

  • The right to property

• Every right comes with a corresponding duty

• Duties ensure rights are respected, protected, and fulfilled

• Often, duties are less emphasized than rights

Character Based Ethics

Cultivate virtues like transparency and fairness.

Focuses on character development of individuals and good character traits. The fundamental principle of virtue ethics was introduced in the writings of Aristotle nearly 2500 years ago.

• How it applies to computer ethics

  • Transparency in software development

  • Integrity in cybersecurity

  • Fairness in algorithm design

  • Respect in digital interactions

Ubuntu

African philosophy emphasizes on community (“A person is a person through others”). Which has core values of humanness, shared identity and goodwill. In contrast with Western Values, ubuntu prioritizes community over individualism (e.g., refusal to share media seen as selfishness).

• Core Values

  • Personhood - status of being a person

  • Identity - distinguishing character or personality of an individual

  • Humanness - the quality of being human

• community-centric values vs western values